Where She Belongs (Destiny Falls)

by Cindy Procter-King

  She was one beautiful woman. And intelligent, and caring.

  Loosening his tie, he peeked through the sheer curtains draping the living room window. Nora crossed to the kitchen, while Jess, sitting on the swivel rocker, hunched over a laptop. Probably working. Despite her sudden leave of absence, evidently she’d already made arrangements to remain informed. Good for her. Unlike Crysta, Jess was fully capable of dividing her attention between career and family. Her devotion to her mother proved that.

  He knocked on the door. Jess’s head lifted, but she didn’t glance his way. She wore her hair swept up from her temples and caught in a pretty clasp atop her head. Her black curls cascaded over her shoulders, and he recognized her light gray dress from meeting her at the airport.

  He liked that dress. The soft fabric hugged her curves just so. His fingers itched to follow.

  She called to her mom in the kitchen, then snapped shut the computer and placed it on the coffee table. Getting up, she started to the door. He straightened and adjusted his tie again.

  His blood pumped. Adrenaline rush.

  “You should steer clear of her, bud.”

  Big problem there, Wright.

  He didn’t think he could.

  Glancing at her watch, Jess opened the door. “Right on time, Thel—” Not Thelma. “Adam!” Wearing a beige sports jacket, dressy trousers, and hunter-green tie. Her pulse jumped. “Why are you here?”

  He grinned. “Is that any way to greet your date?” He leaned against the doorjamb, crowding her, obviously enjoying her flustered expression.

  “Date?” Molly hadn’t said boo about Adam acting as her date. In fact, when she and Molly confirmed their dinner plans this morning, Molly had said he might return from Valemount later than anticipated. “Weren’t we meeting at the Wander-Inn? That’s where I’m meeting Tim and Molly.”

  Even minus his customary jeans, he exuded casual confidence as he lifted one shoulder in a sexy shrug. “I made good time on the road, so thought I’d pick you up. Use one vehicle instead of two. Save the car for your mom, in case she needs it.”

  “Well, um, thanks for thinking of me, but I can’t leave yet. Thelma’s coming over to play crib with Mom. I’d like to stay until she arrives.”

  Her mom’s faint footfalls sounded on the hardwood floor. Jess made room for her in the doorway, and the cool evening air wrapped around them. “It’s Adam, Mom, not Thelma like we thought when we heard the knock.”

  Her mom nodded. “I’d figured something of the sort when I didn’t hear Thelma’s voice straight off.” She shook his hand. “Hello, Adam.”

  “Hi. I hear you’re playing crib with Thelma Matthews tonight.”

  “Yes, when Peter was alive, we used to play with Thelma and Vince all the time.”

  “I play a mean game of crib myself. Maybe I could interest you and Jess in a little tournament sometime?”

  “That would be nice. Wouldn’t it, Jessie?” Her mother beamed.

  “Um, sure.” Jess cleared her throat. “Adam came to see if I needed a ride, but I explained it wouldn’t be necessary.”

  “Oh, Jessie, don’t worry on my account. I know I haven’t been myself lately, but I’m starting to feel better. Thelma will be along shortly. Look, there’s her car now.”

  Jess glanced around Adam. A car turned in off Old Village Road, its headlights gleaming in the twilight. The sedan stopped next to Adam’s SUV, and Thelma climbed out, waving.

  Jess looked at him. His blue gaze challenged: Any other roadblocks?

  He had her. And, damn it, he knew it. Her mother would consider her ill-mannered if she refused the ride now.

  “Just a minute.” She retrieved her coat and purse from the brass tree near the door. She pulled on the coat while the others exchanged hellos. Adam rocked on his heels, ever nonchalant.

  Ever distracting.

  “Don’t you two make a charming couple,” Thelma said once Jess stepped onto the porch. “Dress pants and a sports coat, Adam? That’s not like you.” She commented to Jess in earnest tones, “The man rarely sheds his jeans, honey. Make the most of it while you can.”

  Adam laughed. “Thelma, do you have any idea what you said?”

  Thelma’s face reddened. “I did not.” She smacked his arm. “Mr. Wright, you’re awful.”

  Jess squirmed while her mother chuckled softly.

  “We’re double-dating with Tim and Molly Davis,” Adam said. His mischievous gaze dared Jess to correct him. So she did.

  “We’re meeting Tim and Molly for dinner, he means.” She and Adam were not dating, and she didn’t appreciate him teasing her in front of Mom and Thelma.

  She waited until the door closed behind the two women. “Adam Wright,” she reprimanded like a mother might a naughty child.

  “Yes?” All innocence. All adult, impertinent male.

  She tried to remain irritated, but his jaunty expression got the better of her. Tonight belonged to Tim and Molly. She owed it to her friends to make the evening work, even if doing so meant letting Adam’s behavior slide. “Forget it.”

  His eyebrows perked. “You’re coming with me, then?”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  “Only if you want to embarrass me in front of Thelma.”

  “She’s inside.”

  “Yeah, but I think I saw her peeking through the curtains.”

  Jess smirked. “Oh, sure.”

  He pushed his hands into his trouser pockets. “Well, you can’t say I don’t try.”

  “No, that’s the one thing about you I could never say.” And it just might lead to her undoing.

  Chapter Five

  ADAM DIDN’T BELIEVE in waiting for what he wanted. As Pete’s recent passing testified, life was too short not to grab it and give it a good shake. However, recalling Jess’s tenuous relationship with her stepfather, he refrained from mentioning his renewed philosophy over dinner. Instead, assisted by an excellent meal, fine wine, and the friendly ribbing he always enjoyed with Tim and Molly, he concentrated on encouraging Jess to relax. By the time their group finished eating, a festive atmosphere enveloped the small table in the candlelit dining room now empty of other patrons. Music played in the background, and a fire crackled on the hearth, creating a cozy mood.

  Ellen, a ruddy-faced woman in her fifties who ran the rustic inn with her husband, whisked away their dinner plates with a promise to return with dessert. Adam topped off the wineglasses and announced, “Time for another toast.”

  “Here, here!” Jess lifted her glass alongside his.

  Adam motioned his glass toward Tim and Molly. “You two married young,” he said, then paused. “Well, you were young, anyway, Molly.”

  Tim snorted. “Enough with the age jokes already. I’m barely a year older than you are, Wright.”

  “Yeah, but you play left field like you’re ninety.”

  “You wish! The Educators are gonna clean up this year. Your Mountaineers don’t stand a chance.”

  “Time out, boys,” Molly said with an amused glance toward Jess. “I realize slo-pitch starts next week, but I don’t think Jess and I can tolerate another round of your macho need to out-brag each other. You can act out your childhood fantasies on the softball field if you’d like, but the subject is hereby banned from this dining room.”

  “Yes, dear. Sorry, dear.” Tim slouched his lanky frame in his chair, and Molly giggled.

  “Much better.” She turned to Jess. “Have to keep him in line, you know.” She nodded to Adam. “Come on, cousin. Toast us.”

  “Okay, all kidding aside, you two have one of the best things I’ve ever seen going in a couple. You made a commitment to each other seven years ago, and you’ve stuck it out even through the rough times like when Tim lost his job to the school board funding fiasco.”

  “Thank God that’s behind us,” Molly commented, her gaze tender as she glanced at Tim. “I know you weren’t happy working in the sawmill, honey, but you did it anyway, so we wouldn’t have to move. Now you
’re back teaching Phys. Ed. again. Everything turned out for the best.”

  Tim clasped her hand on the tablecloth, his brown eyes gleaming.

  “Exactly,” Adam said to Tim. “You applied to other school districts and received decent offers. You could have taken the easy route and left town, like so many of our friends have done. Instead, you chose to stay right here, where Molly has her roots and where your kids feel at home. That kind of love and commitment is rare these days. You have a wonderful home and family. Congratulations on your seventh anniversary, Tim and Molly. Here’s to many more.”

  “Thanks, Adam,” Molly said. “That means a lot to me.”

  “Me, too, pal,” Tim added.

  “Congratulations, Tim and Moll,” Jess chimed in, and wineglasses clinked all around.

  Within moments, Ellen brought the coffee and desserts. Sparklers fizzled atop the strawberry cheesecake slices she placed in front of Molly and Tim. She congratulated the couple, then poured the coffee and left for the desk in the lobby visible through the dining room’s open French doors.

  Molly pushed her tiny camera toward Adam and snuggled beneath Tim’s arm. “Be a dear, Adam. Another shot of Tim and me?”

  “What? I’ve taken three already.” He picked up the camera, anyway, and snapped the picture while the sparklers danced. “Happy?” He passed the digital back to her.

  “Not yet. Now I want one of you and Jess.” Molly lifted the camera. “I know you couldn’t help missing the wedding, Adam, because of your stupid appendix bursting, but I’d like at least one shot of Tim’s AWOL best man with my maid of honor, even if it’s seven years late.”

  She didn’t have to ask twice. Adam scooted his chair close to Jess’s and looped an arm around her slender shoulders. The kitten-soft fabric of her dress cushioned his fingers, and her spine tensed slightly.

  Pleased with his ability to get a rise out of her, he squeezed her arm while Molly snapped the picture.

  Conversation continued in a steady flow while they ate dessert. A string of quiet ballads played in the background, intensifying the intimate atmosphere. When the poignant strains of a popular love song drifted over the sound system, Tim smiled at his wife and she smiled back. Without saying a word, he led her to the center of the tiny dining room. Molly tucked her head against his chest, and they moved to the slow, romantic beat.

  Adam glanced at Jess. She relaxed in her chair, hands folded on her lap, a faraway expression on her face as she watched Tim and Molly waltz.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” he asked, but she didn’t budge. Her gaze grew hazy. Had she even heard him?

  What are you thinking, Jess? That Tim and Molly have it all?

  Or, like Crysta, did she believe marriage was a one-way ticket to Nowheresville?

  His gut clenched. He didn’t want to think about Crysta Jenkins—his love for her had died with her betrayal. However, on a night like this, the memories re-surfaced. Two years ago, he and Crysta had attended another of Tim and Molly’s famous anniversary dinners. They’d announced their engagement, Crysta three months pregnant with his baby. The unborn child he’d thought she’d wanted as much as he had.

  He’d been wrong.

  Let it go. Be here. Now.

  He focused on Jess. As if she sensed the weight of his thoughts, her head turned. Her gaze slowly lowered, then drifted back up.

  Locked with his.

  His chest tightened, and thoughts of Crysta vanished. Here. Now. Action. Reach out. Do it.

  Who was he to question instinct? Living in the past was a definite route to the doldrums. He couldn’t look at Jess without wanting her, and he couldn’t survive the next five weeks without learning if she wanted him, too.

  He drained his coffee and pushed back his chair. “Want to dance?” He offered his hand.

  Her gaze flicked to the meager floor space. “There’s not enough room.”

  “We’ll make room. Humor me.”

  Biting her lower lip, she rose. He accompanied her to the makeshift dance floor as the romantic song wound down. No matter, they’d take the next one.

  He pushed back a table and moved two chairs. Ellen stared with undisguised interest from the inn desk.

  Molly and Tim strolled over hand-in-hand. With a nod toward Ellen, Tim asked, “Wreaking havoc again, Wright?”

  “Look who’s talking.” Adam stepped in beside Jess.

  “Don’t pin it on us, pal. We’re heading home to create some havoc of our own.”

  Light pink dusted Molly’s cheeks. “The kids are staying at my parents’ tonight.”

  Adam laughed. “No explanations necessary, Cuz. Anniversary sex. Sounds good.”

  “Oh yeah,” Tim said.

  Molly ignored them. “What time are you coming to the store tomorrow, Jess?”

  Jess’s eyes were bright, her skin flushed. Because of the sex talk? Adam hoped so.

  Avoiding his gaze, she replied, “Around eleven, after I drop Mom off at the hairdresser’s. Is that a good time?”

  “Sounds perfect. Is she joining us for lunch afterward?”

  “If you don’t mind.”

  “Of course not. I’ll see you both then.”

  Adam paid the bill as Tim and Molly left—his treat, in honor of the celebration. Then, hands in trouser pockets, he returned to Jess. “You’re visiting the store?”

  She nodded. “I’m in dire need of some jeans if I want to at least look like I fit in around here. I packed in such a rush, I didn’t bring a single pair.”

  An image of her curvy behind in tight jeans flitted through his mind. He approved.

  “Still want to dance?”

  Her gaze flickered. A slow, sultry country ballad with a heavy, steady backbeat wove around them. Interpreting her silence as a tentative yes, he clasped her hand and swung her around so she couldn’t see Ellen spying on them.

  He placed his hand on her back, and a small tremor rippled through her. Nerves? Anticipation? Lust? He couldn’t tell which, but he could definitely feel it. Beneath his palm, on her back. Beneath her silky-soft dress.

  Lowering his head, he whispered, “Pretend it’s just you and me. One dance. That’s all I ask.”

  He half-expected a quick rejection. Instead, to his intense pleasure, she closed her eyes and swayed with him to the beat. She didn’t speak. Neither did he. Heat flooded him, and he pulled her close.

  She didn’t resist.

  Adam stifled a groan as the music flowed over them. Sweet heaven, if she moved this well with him on the dance floor, how would she respond to his touch in bed?

  He hardened, and her eyes flew open. Surprise and passion mingled in her gaze.

  “Sorry,” he murmured. But he really wasn’t.

  Velvet eyes. “It’s okay.”

  Taking his time, enjoying the seductive tension, he brushed her lips with a light kiss. Her fingers tightened on the back of his neck. He pressed his lips to hers and tasted the strawberry-laced recesses of her mouth.

  His gut contracted. Blood surged to thrum in his veins. He lost himself in her heat, her scent, the sensual dance her tongue shared with his.

  The clattering of cups snapped him to his senses. He broke the kiss, his breath releasing in a soft hiss. Ellen stood less than four feet away, gathering the coffee things from their table. Arching a disapproving eyebrow, she trundled out of the dining room.

  Slowing their tempo to a near standstill, Adam glanced at Jess. “Looks like the Mom in this Mom-and-Pop operation is trying to tell us something.” He grazed her lower lip with his thumb.

  She smiled. Softly, warmly. Uncertain. “We should go.”

  “Home?” He kept her hand clasped in his. Home was the last place he wanted her to go.

  “I’m not sure.”

  Understanding dawned within him. She wanted to be with him tonight—perhaps as much as he wanted to be with her. But she’d already told him she didn’t sleep around. He liked that. As a matter of fact, he liked it a hell of a lot. For reasons he suspect
ed it wasn’t wise to examine at this point, if ever.

  “I know somewhere. It’s not much, but it’s private.” Tipping up her chin, he gazed into her almond-shaped eyes. “Trust me, Jess. We’ll take this as slow as you need.”

  Jess studied Adam in the shadowy interior of his SUV. He drove toward her mother’s house. Had he changed his mind about taking her someplace private? Did she want him to? She couldn’t recall the last time she’d acted so impulsively with a man. What was it about Adam Wright that inspired her to let down her guard?

  He slid a glance her way. “Curious?”

  “You could say that.” Although questioning her sanity was more accurate.

  “Well, your curiosity’s about to be satisfied.” He steered the truck onto a narrow dirt road leading into a pasture. Parking in the middle of the field, he switched off the engine. “We’re here.”

  “Where?” Jess rolled down her window to the fresh, pure fragrance of grand old fir trees. They towered around the field’s perimeter in silhouette against the moonlit sky. A huge wooden screen, dingy with neglect, stood at the far end of the field. “The old drive-in! I’d forgotten it was here!”

  “Don’t say that.” Adam’s mellow voice reached out to her. “Old man Worthington might have been crazy trying to make another go of this place after the video stores put it out of business, but some of my best summer memories revolve around the Starlite.”

  Hers, too. The drive-in had gone bankrupt a second time before she and Danny started dating, but she’d spent several starry evenings here the summer she’d turned fourteen.

  The summer she’d met Adam.

  He nudged her thigh. “Remember how my brother and cousins and I got saddled with watching you and Molly when her parents went to that concert in Kamloops? We tried to ditch you to catch a Clint Eastwood marathon, but Molly threatened to squeal on us unless we took you both along.”

  Gazing out the window, Jess nodded. “You remember that?” As far as she knew, he’d barely realized she’d existed then.